She Will Be Loved
by Brandi Golightly
Summary: Natasha hates jewelry and she hates romantic cliches, but there's a certain archer that she'd make an exception for. One-shot.


**So, this came to me after seeing a post on Tumblr. Someone zoomed in on a picture of Scarlett Johansson on the set of Captain America 2 to find a suspicious looking piece of jewelry that sent my Clintasha feels into overdrive. What might it be? Just read this story to find out. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Clint and Natasha or any other characters. They belong to Marvel. I also don't own the song lyrics. They belong to Maroon 5.**

* * *

Natasha Romanoff hates jewelry.

She hates how necklaces wrap around your neck, as if it could so easily choke you. She hates that earrings dangle from your ears, so easily prone to being ripped off. She hates bracelets because they're a hassle to get off if she ever needed her Widow's Bites. And most importantly, she hates rings. In her opinion, they restrict her trigger-ready fingers but in reality, she thinks rings symbolize something important, like marriage or an engagement. So in general, Natasha Romanoff hates jewelry.

When it comes to missions, of course she'll wear jewelry. It would seem awfully suspicious if she were to be dressed up in the finest of silk without any expensive diamonds dripping from her ears, but she would hate every minute of it.

So why was it that she was playing with the thin silver chain that was currently wrapped around her neck?

It was just another day at the office. She was wearing a pair of black jeans, a black tank top, and an olive green jacket. It was casual. So why was she wearing this very simple silver chain?

As she rolled the chain between her fingers, she thought back to the day she got the flimsy piece of jewelry.

* * *

_It had been six months after the Battle of New York when Clint Barton was finally given a solo mission. It wasn't that SHIELD didn't trust him. It was far from that. SHIELD just figured he needed some time to recuperate. And that he did._

_The Battle of New York changed everyone. Stark was suffering from insomnia. Steve was still trying to adjust to modern day. Bruce was God knows where trying to keep himself in control. Thor was feeling guilty that he visited Earth without visiting some woman named Jane Foster._

_As for Natasha, she had nightmares, bad ones, and all of them involved Clint and Loki. She dreamed that Loki would come back and possess Clint once again just to make him kill her. Other times, she dreamed that Loki didn't come back, but that he was still somehow in control of Clint. She may have knocked Loki out of Clint on the Helicarrier, but there had never been a guarantee that he wouldn't become possessed again._

_Clint had nightmares too, but the guilt and suffering over the Helicarrier attack took an even worse toll on him. He blamed himself for causing pain upon the dozens of SHIELD agents that were injured in the attack. He blamed himself for nearly crashing the Helicarrier. Most importantly, he blamed himself for being the reason Coulson was dead._

_It was about a month after the Battle of New York when a particularly terrifying nightmare wreaked havoc on Clint's subconscious. Now living in Avengers Tower, in a room just down the hall from Natasha's, Clint thrashed around and moaned in pain in his sleep. Since Natasha was just down the hall – and a light sleeper – she heard Clint as he suffered through the nightmare. She was out of bed in a flash and paced down the hall towards Clint's room._

_She always knew better than to sneak up on the world's greatest marksman, but instinct had taken over this particular night and Natasha rushed to Clint's bedside. She ferociously tried to shake him awake, grabbing him by the shoulder and shoving him furiously, but to no avail._

"_Barton, wake up!" she'd hissed in the dead of the night._

_Clint let out a pained whimper as he viciously rolled onto his side. Every second that ticked by and he wasn't awake was killing Natasha. He'd been through nightmares before but she knew that none of them had to compare to the ones he was currently suffering from. She needed to wake him up._

_Furrowing her brow, she shoved Clint hard in the shoulder. Time seemed to slow down after that. Clint sat bolt upright in bed, his eyes wide with terror and confusion. But that wasn't all. In his hand, he clutched one of his throwing knives, which Natasha knew he kept under his pillow while he slept. He thrashed around with the weapon in his hand and Natasha went staggering backwards, landing flat on her butt on the floor with a _thud_. _

_It was then that Clint noticed Natasha sitting on the floor, a look of fear and concern in her eyes. For a split second, he didn't know what to do. He just stared at the red head huddled on the floor of his bedroom in fear. When he finally composed himself, he dropped his knife and scrambled out of bed to console Natasha. He'd closed the distance between them in two long strides but the moment he reached her, she flinched away from him and shook her head. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees._

"_Nat, I-I'm so sorry," he breathed. Words couldn't even describe how sorry he was. First, he nearly killed her on the Helicarrier during their fight and now, he wielded a knife at her, probably nearly stabbing her. The guilt was never ending._

_However, Natasha simply shook her head. "It's okay," she mumbled._

"_No, it's not," Clint protested._

"_No, I know better than to do that," Natasha said with a shrug. "I should've been more careful."_

_Clint wanted to protest. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Instead, he sighed and dropped onto his butt, resting his back against the wall. "This isn't going to end," he grumbled. "It's never going to stop."_

_He sounded so hopeless that it nearly broke Natasha's heart in two. Freeing her legs from her arms, she crawled across the distance between them and curled into the archer's side. She knew it caught him off guard because he stiffened as she wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head against his chest. It was only for a couple seconds but he eventually relaxed in her embrace and then reciprocated the gesture._

_They sat like that in silence for several minutes, just enjoying being in each other's company. Natasha typically didn't do this. This wasn't how they dealt with nightmares in the past. But New York had changed them. New York had changed _her_._

_When those three words left Coulson's lips, she knew what she had to do. She had to get him back, but not for the reasons other people thought. They were partners and she couldn't lose her partner. But there was a feeling that stirred inside her that meant something else. She didn't know what it was because she'd never experienced it before._

Love is for children_, she'd always told herself. It was like her mantra. It was what she lived by, but a certain archer made her feel something more than love. She was pretty sure her mantra didn't apply when it came to Clint Barton._

_Tilting her head, her green eyes locked with Clint's blue-grey orbs. In that moment, she knew that the Hawk would always be her hawk. No one would take him away from her. Gently squirming in his grip, Natasha reached up and lightly brushed her lips against the archer's. _

_Once again, she'd caught him off guard and he tensed at her touch, but only for a split second before he started moving his lips against hers. His hand glided up to cup the side of her face. She felt the familiar roughness of his calloused hands against her soft, porcelain skin and it took every ounce of restraint in her body to not smile._

_Their lips moved over one another, molding into one. It even seemed like their bodies were fusing together. Natasha was pressed up against Clint's chest, while his arm was snaked around her waist, holding her close to him._

_Time seemed to slow down again for the kiss felt like an eternity. In reality, it was only a couple seconds. When they finally pulled away from one another, they were out of breath and their hearts were beating fast to the same rhythm._

_That's when Natasha Romanoff knew love wasn't just for children._

* * *

_Their relationship seemed to escalate in the following months. A month after their encounter in Clint's bedroom, they had sex for the first time. A month after that, it was nearly impossible for them to sleep in separate beds. They spent so much time together they might as well have been married. But even Clint and Natasha knew that with their jobs, that was very nearly impossible._

_Months passed by and neither one of them was called out for a mission. They figured Fury was still giving them down time because of the battle in New York. They weren't complaining but they were also bored. Having each other for company was great, but there was only so much you could do with one another until you went completely mental._

_When the six month mark rolled around, Clint had officially been assigned a solo mission. Natasha had to admit she was actually jealous that it had been him and not her, even after Clint mentioned the mission was for a marksman, not a seductress. _

_Once they got past that, Natasha realized Clint would be leaving for an undisclosed amount of time. That meant she didn't know where he'd be going and for how long. Plus, there was no guarantee they'd be able to communicate with one another._

_While Natasha pouted over Clint's solo mission, Clint decided to make their last night together for God knows how long memorable. Clint knew Natasha hated going out for dinner and he knew she hated going out on dates even more. But this wouldn't be a date. It would be a casual night between two people who were more than friends. And if Natasha didn't want to go so she could pout instead, then Clint would drag her out, kicking and screaming._

_When their final night together came, Clint had casually proposed the idea while they were sitting on the living room couch, watching some boring action film on TV. Just by the look on her face – nose scrunched up and an eyebrow that had quirked upwards – he could tell that she wasn't up for going out to dinner. But Clint wasn't taking no for an answer. After much coercion, the red head assassin finally agreed and stomped off down the hall to get ready._

_It was around six o'clock when Natasha was finally ready. She glided down the hall in a black satin bustier dress that hugged all of her curves in the right places. Her curls hung loosely, barely brushing her bare shoulders. And as usual, there wasn't a single piece of jewelry on the assassin's body. But it's not like Clint cared, her appearance alone had his heart in his throat._

_Clint had made a reservation at a fancy restaurant on the Upper West Side. It was located on the roof of a high rise so they'd be dining outdoors. When they arrived, Clint could tell Natasha was beyond annoyed. He'd chosen the most clichéd restaurant in the city but he constantly reminded her that it was just dinner. Who cared where it was? As long as they got something to eat, it should suffice._

_They'd been seated at a table in the middle of the al fresco restaurant. Natasha felt like she was being watched and it put her on edge. Clint could tell she was nervous but he squeezed her hand reassuringly. He knew it would relax her._

_Natasha had to admit that Clint had good taste in food though. The appetizer was fantastic and the bread was warm and fresh. Even if they were dining under the nighttime sky and the entire restaurant was such a cliché, she had to admit that Clint really knew how to choose a place with good food._

_Their main course passed in silence. The only sounds that echoed throughout the restaurant were the scrapes of silverware across porcelain plates, the faint music playing in the background, and the soft honks and buzzes of cars and buses from far below. It wasn't until their waiter had cleared their dishes from their table and took their orders for dessert did Clint decide it was time._

_He didn't just bring Natasha to this place for dinner. He wanted to give her something, something that would remind her of him while he was away on his solo mission. Simply giving it to her in their apartment in Avengers Tower wouldn't suffice. At least, not for Clint Barton's standards._

"_Nat," Clint said softly. "Can I tell you something?"_

_The red head shrugged. "Yeah, sure," she said as she brought her wine glass up to her lips. She took a small sip before returning the glass to the table._

"_I know you're mad I'm leaving," he said simply._

"_I'm not mad," the female assassin chimed in sharply._

"_Really? It kind of sounds like you are," the archer shot back._

_Natasha shook her head tersely. "I'm not."_

_There was more to this. He knew Natasha too well. Normally he wouldn't pry. She'd typically tell him when she was ready, but now was not the time. He'd be leaving tomorrow at noon and he needed this to be straightened out now. Not when she was ready, _now_._

"_Tasha," he said softly and under his breath, like a rumble in his chest. "Do you think I'm not going to come back to you this time?"_

"_That's ridiculous, Barton," she snapped._

"_Nat, I'll always come back to you, especially now," he said. She stared back at him, her green eyes emotionless. She hadn't responded, but he knew that a million thoughts had to be running through her mind at the moment. Either way, he continued. "I know you don't like that I'm leaving, but I got you something to remember me while I'm gone."_

_Reaching into his jacket pocket, he fingers curled around the black velvet box. He pulled it out and set it on the table. He slid it across the table towards Natasha, who looked at it like it was the Black Plague._

"_I know you hate jewelry," the archer said. The red head hesitantly reached out and grabbed the black box. She snapped it open and she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips. Inside was a simple silver necklace. The chain was thin but it was the charm that really caught her eye. Dangling from the thin silver chain was a silver arrow._

"_You don't have to wear it," Clint continued. "Maybe you can put it by your bedside or something. I don't know, but it's yours."_

_Carefully, Natasha pulled the delicate chain from its box and draped it across her palm. It was true that she hated jewelry but there was something about this particular piece of jewelry that she couldn't hate. Maybe it was because a lot of thought went into it? Maybe it was because her hawk had gotten it for her? Either way, she couldn't give it back to him._

_She reached across the table to hand Clint the necklace. "Will you put it on me?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading._

_A grin broke out on Clint's face and he nodded. He carefully took the delicate chain in his rough hands and stood up to walk to the other side of the table. Natasha had swept her hair up in anticipation so that it was out of Clint's way. Reaching around her, Clint draped the silver chain around her neck before closing the clasp. Clint's hands ghosted over her soft skin before returning to his seat and Natasha couldn't suppress a smile._

_The moment Clint sat back down in his seat, he felt a drop of water hit him on his nose, followed by another on the back of his hand. He glanced up at the sky and saw the eerie cloud cover. He supposed he should've checked the weather before bringing Natasha to an al fresco restaurant._

_The small drizzle escalated to a steady rain within seconds, causing the restaurant's patrons to scatter. However, Natasha just rose from her chair, her damp red hair starting to stick to the sides of her face, and crossed to Clint's side of the table. All of the restaurant patrons, as well as the staff, had sought shelter, leaving Clint and Natasha alone in the open air restaurant._

_In the background, Clint heard the song change from a Frank Sinatra song to one by Maroon 5._

Beauty queen of only eighteen,

She had some trouble with herself.

He was always there to help her,

She always belonged to someone else.

_With a smirk, Natasha reached out her hand and offered it to Clint. The archer chuckled and took her hand, rising from his chair as he did so. She may have offered to dance with him, but he was going to lead. Snaking an arm around her waist and entwining his fingers with hers, they started to sway to the ballad._

I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door,

I've had you so many times but somehow I want more.

_The rain had gone from steady to a downpour. Clint and Natasha were soaked from head to toe but neither one of them cared._

I don't mind spending every day,

Out on your corner in the pouring rain.

Look for the girl with the broken smile,

Ask her if she wants to stay a while.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

_Every so often, Clint would get a firm grip on Natasha's waist and dip her down. This would elicit a rare smile from the red headed assassin._

Tap on my window, knock on my door,

I want to make you feel beautiful.

I know I tend to get so insecure,

It doesn't matter anymore.

_Natasha wasn't one for romantic clichés, but somehow she couldn't resist when the rain started. And since they were all alone, what did it matter? This was her last night with Clint for God knows how long. She was going to milk it for all its worth._

It's not always rainbows and butterflies,

It's compromise that moves us along, yeah.

My heart is full and my door's always open,

You come anytime you want, yeah.

_At one point, Clint rested his forehead against Natasha's. Once again, the action elicited a rare smile from the red head and he couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was when she smiled. He figured she should do it more often. But then again, if he told her that, he'd probably get a swift kick in the nuts. It really didn't matter if he was her boyfriend/partner or not._

I don't mind spending every day,

Out on your corner in the pouring rain.

Look for the girl with the broken smile,

Ask her if she wants to stay a while.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

_For a second, the two assassins had a feeling they were being watched so their gazes immediately flitted to the small indoor reception area where many of the restaurant patrons were seeking refuge. A few of them were gazing out the window, watching the two SHIELD agents sway back and forth in the pouring rain. The two assassins shot a nasty look at the gawkers and they immediately scrambled away from the window._

I know where you hide, alone in your car,

Know all of the things that make you who you are.

I know that goodbye means nothing at all,

Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls.

Yeah.

_The cool rain was soaking through Natasha's satin dress and she hadn't brought a jacket. Even if she did, it would be soaked by now, but she couldn't hold back the involuntary shiver. Noticing the action, Clint pulled her closer to him and Natasha could immediately feel his body heat radiating from him._

Tap on my window, knock on my door,

I want to make you feel beautiful.

_Another dip and this time, Natasha couldn't help but giggle. Clint smirked at the red headed assassin. He felt pretty pleased with himself. He got the red head to wear jewelry, smile, and laugh all in one night._

I don't mind spending every day,

Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh.

Look for the girl with the broken smile,

Ask her if she wants to stay a while.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

And she will be loved.

_The song was starting to fade out so the two assassins ceased the swaying back and forth. They stayed in one another's embrace, but simply stared into one another's eyes._

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye.

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye.

Yeah, yeah.

_Natasha tilted her head and smirked at her hawk. Deep down, she was angry that he was leaving her tomorrow. After a night like this, she wouldn't want to let him go, but she had no doubt that everything would be okay. She knew he'd make it back to her. He always did._

I don't mind spending every day,

Out on the corner in the pouring rain.

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye.

_The song faded out and switched over to another, but for Clint and Natasha, it sounded like complete silence around them. Not even the pitter-patter of raindrops on china could pull them out of this trance. Leaning into one another, they crushed their lips to one another, hungrily kissing the other._

_Natasha may have hated jewelry and she may have also hated romantic clichés, but her hawk was the only exception._

* * *

"Romanoff!"

Natasha jumped, the silver chain falling from her fingers. She'd completely forgotten where she was, so as she looked around wildly at her surroundings, she remembered that she was in a conference room on the SHIELD base in New York. Seated across the table was Steve Rogers, while Maria Hill was on her left and Director Fury was standing at the head of the table on her right.

She straightened up in her chair and cleared her throat. "Yes, Director?"

"Are we clear on the details of the mission?" he asked, arching the eyebrow above his one good eye.

Natasha jogged her memory to figure out exactly why she was here. She glanced down at the mission file that was lying open on the tabletop.

_Right, mission_, Natasha thought to herself.

"Yeah, Rogers and I will go into D.C. and investigate the enemy before taking him out," Natasha said with a nod.

"Great!" Fury boomed. "Wheels up in an hour. Be ready."

Natasha nodded and rose from her chair, snapping her mission file shut. It had been a month since Clint had left for his mission. There hadn't been much correspondence from him. Sometimes he was able to fit in a two minute phone call at three in the morning a couple times during the week but that was about it. It wasn't much but it sufficed.

As she marched out of the conference room, she tucked her mission file under her arm and began to fiddle with the silver chain once again. After a couple minutes, her fingers drifted to the silver arrow charm and she held it between her lithe fingers. Even if he never called her and even if he never checked in with SHIELD for his mandatory checkpoints, she still knew that her hawk would return to her no matter what.

* * *

**What did you think? Natasha's probably a little out of character but whatever haha. Please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think! I'd really appreciate it!**


End file.
